[00:04.505] A song for you this evening
[00:09.294] and it's not to make you sad
[00:12.255] Or for adding to the sorrow of a troubled Northern land
[00:18.265] But lately I've been thinking
[00:21.243] and it just won't leave my mind
[00:24.836] I'll tell you now of two good friends
[00:27.983] They were both good friends of mine
[00:33.522] Isaac Scott from Derry
[00:35.889] he lived just across the fields
[00:39.049] A great man for the music and the dancing and the reels
[00:45.436] MacDonald came from South Armagh to court young Agnes fair
[00:51.316] It was then we'd meet on Ryan Road
[00:54.231] and laughter filled the air
[01:05.450] Now, Isaac, he was Protestant and Sean was Catholic born
[01:11.843] But it never made a difference
[01:14.576] for their friendship it was strong
[01:18.185] And sometimes in the evening when we heard the sound of drums
[01:24.310] We said "War won't divide us
[01:27.026] we will always be as one
[01:30.979] For the land our fathers plow in
[01:34.931] the soil it is the same
[01:37.691] And the places where we say our prayers have just got different names
[01:44.450] We talked about our friends who'd died
[01:47.624] we hoped there'd be no more
[01:50.716] It was little then we realized the tragedy in store
[01:58.100] There were roses, roses, there were roses
[02:08.221] And the tears of the people ran together
[02:20.000] It was on a Sunday morning when the awful news came around
[02:26.947] There'd been another killing outside of Caplan town
[02:33.458] We knew that Isaac danced up there, we knew he liked the band
[02:39.299] We heard that he was dead, and we just could not understand
[02:45.417] We gathered at his graveside on a cold and rainy day
[02:53.051] The minister just closed his eyes, and for no revenge he prayed
[02:59.865] And those of us who knew him from along the Ryan Road
[03:05.689] Just bowed our heads and said a prayer for the resting of his soul
[03:11.996] There were roses, roses, there were roses
[03:23.210] And the tears of the people ran together
[03:45.492] Now fear it filled the countryside, and fear filled every home
[03:51.922] And late one night
[03:54.195] a car came prowling round the Ryan Road
[03:58.452] A Catholic would be killed tonight to even up the score
[04:04.447] Oh Christ, it's young MacDonald that they've taken from the door
[04:11.057] "Isaac was my friend!" he cried
[04:15.764] he begged them with his fear
[04:18.560] But centuries of hatred have ears that cannot hear
[04:25.040] "An eye for an eye" was all that filled their minds
[04:30.679] And another eye for another eye
[04:33.945] til everyone is blind
[04:37.162] There were roses, roses, there were roses
[04:48.422] And the tears of the people ran together
[04:58.822] Now I don't know where the moral is
[05:03.928] or how this song should end
[05:07.291] But I wonder just how many wars are fought between good friends
[05:13.384] And the men who give the orders, well
[05:16.804] they're not the ones who die
[05:19.332] It's Scott and MacDonald and the likes of you and I
[05:26.078] There were roses, roses, there were roses
[05:38.213] And the tears of the people ran together